Tax Law

KU Law offers a variety of tax courses that respond to the growing demand for attorneys with expertise in the field of tax law. Students seeking a strong tax focus can pursue a comprehensive selection of courses that cover the major substantive areas of tax law and practice. They can also earn the Tax Law Certificate and gain hands-on tax law practice skills through the Field Placement Program and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

Curriculum

Federal Income Taxation

Taxation of Business Enterprises

Estate Planning: Principles

Estate Planning: Practice

Federal Tax Procedure

Business Planning Seminar

Related Course Offerings

The tax-intensive courses listed above are complemented by a wide array of business and corporate law offerings that round out a tax student's course of study. Even those students who do not wish to concentrate in the area of tax law greatly benefit from having taken tax courses. As any practicing attorney knows, a thorough understanding of federal tax law is crucial if the attorney is to represent a corporation or business client effectively. Students are, therefore, encouraged to complete courses that, although not specifically tax-related, are heavily impacted by tax considerations. These include:

Tax Law Certificate

Certification through KU's Tax Law Certificate program assures employers that students not only have a mastery of basic principles of individual and entity taxation, but also have been exposed to some of the finer points of tax law and practice.

With so many tax courses to choose from, few students have the opportunity to take them all. As a result, some KU students decide to continue their studies and obtain a Masters of Taxation (LL.M.) degree. These students have been accepted at some of the finest graduate tax programs in the country, including Georgetown and New York University. Because of the excellent foundation KU Law provides, our students have excelled in their graduate studies.

Other Opportunities

KU Law students gain practical experience in tax law and preparation through participation in an Internal Revenue Service-sponsored Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Each year, KU Law students team up with students in the KU School of Business to prepare hundreds of tax returns for KU students and community members. The work is purely pro bono and results in hundreds of hours of public service performed by KU students.